Caloric Restriction Has a Protective Effect on Chromosomes, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre1/24/2013 7:34:03 AM

One of the indicators of a cell's health is the state of its DNA and containers -- the chromosomes -- so when these fuse together or suffer anomalies, they can become the source of illnesses like cancer and/or aging processes. According to a study carried out by a team led by María Blasco, the director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and head of the Telomeres and Telomerase Group, a sustained lowering of food intake over time results in an increase of telomere length -- the ends of chromosomes -- in adult mice, which has a protective effect on the DNA and genetic material.